CaminoJoy123
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2017
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Note that @Robo refers to the Camino Frances, and during the busier times of year. While they do cater to pilgrim needs there, I can definitely remember waiting hungrily until a decent meal would be available at 8 or 8:30 pm, and I also did encounter closed stores in the afternoon.
Bars are typically open all day and can usually provide pilgrim fare. Proper restaurants are open about 1-4, and then again from about 8 pm. Stores typically close during the afternoon period, reopening around 4 or 5 pm.
On other routes (e.g. VDLP) be prepared for the fact that they do not cater to pilgrim's schedules. Carry snacks!
Hola!
Sometimes I've seen people warn that siesta is between about 2p and 4p, and many businesses are closed.
Other people say lunch is available from about 2p-4p, and isn't typically available before or after. So the restaurants or bars must be open during siesta?
Is it siesta in name only, and really it's just a long lunch during the hot part of the day?
I've also read the main breakfast food that's available around 6-7am is a piece of bread. Is that at the albergues? Or restaurants?
But often a second breakfast is available around 10:30 am at a bar. So if people start walking around 6 or 7am, they're walking for a few hours without substantial meal?
Can someone explain?
Thank you.
as a Spaniard, with odd eating habits, i will try to explain
- siesta usually starts a bit later, 2:30 or even 3, until roughly 5 or 5:30 pm. most/all family run businesses will be closed. each business sets its own siesta closing times, in other words, it is not regulated, and they could stay open if they wanted to. most also make up for the 'loss' of business hours by staying open fairly late - even after 9 pm in some cases. supermarkets that are not family run, will stay open. pharmacies tend to close.
- we eat lunch no earlier than 1:30 pm, although typically after 2 and up to 3 or even 3:30 pm. lunch at noon is unheard of. you will find food at any of teh cafeterias and bars that stay open all day as their kitchen is also open all day. 'real' restaurants open at our lunch time and close at around 4 pm., opening again at around 8:30pm for the first of the dinners. once agian, bars and restaurants will be open all day and will not close for siesta, but they could if they wanted to.
- only the name left, few spaniards, if any, actually take a nap if not the weekend. definitely no one that works in an office. siesta also happens in the spring, autumn and winter, so it is not only heat related.
- on the Camino, many hostels and bars open at 6 am for those that like to walk in the dark and yes, we favour a so-called 'continental' breakfast (toast/pastry + coffee). heavy breakfasts with panackes, eggs, bacon, etc. is foreign to us.
- 'second breakfast' does not exist per se. when you are hungry, stop at any bar and they will have a grill ready and will be able to put together a 'bocadillo' (baguette) and/or will probably have their first tortillas ready for breakfast and/or even received their delivery of churros.
- we eat substantially at lunch and dinner, often as late as 10 pm.
- many places on the Camino are ready for pilgrims, especially foreign pilgrims, and will have food all day, even if just a simple plate of fried eggs, chips and chorizo. for a proper three-course dining experience, never trust a place that serves food outside of our eating times.
good luck and 'buen provecho'
If possible, when the albergues have them, you can keep your stuff in the refrigerator. I never had a problem of someone else filching it, but I've heard it happens.
Refrigerators-- I was wondering about those. Do most albergues have them? As long as the food will keep, it sounds like best time to find a breakfast may be at dinner, the night before.
If you look up the albergues on the Eroski site, you can see whichnones have a kitchen. If they do, then they will at least have a refrigerator, a skink and either a stove or microwave. Yogourts, ham and boiled eggs shared with someone else make for a much better breakast than what albergues will charge you 3€ for. Visit the local mini market before dinner and stock up.Refrigerators-- I was wondering about those. Do most albergues have them? As long as the food will keep, it sounds like best time to find a breakfast may be at dinner, the night before.
It's hit and miss. Some do, some don't. I never looked it up which ones do, and never used there being one as a criteria as to whether or not to stay there. If they didn't have a fridge, I'd just have some energy bars, or something similar that's non-perishable in my pack to carry me over till I could find a real breakfast. If they did have a fridge I'd get some yogurt, juice, maybe sandwich stuff the evening before to eat in the albergue before I left the next morning. For the most part though, you never go but a few kilometers or so before you come to a town where you can stop and eat if you want to.Refrigerators-- I was wondering about those. Do most albergues have them? As long as the food will keep, it sounds like best time to find a breakfast may be at dinner, the night before.
Thank you, this a very thorough answer. Living in Florida, and being among retirees, there are many similarities.
I usually buy un bocadillo, tamates, jamon and queso, plus I keep some fruit or a snack or two at hand. That way I can have a somewhat more substantial breakfast whenever it pleases me, and I have the option of doing the same for either the evening meal or lunch, depending on wether I'm close to an eatery at lunch time, or not. My preferred lunch is a menu del dia.
I carry a small kitchen knife - a Fiskars "tomato knife" (35 gram) to facilitate the butchering of the bocadillo and tamates.
Before I leave, I do a little homework and use google maps to locate panaderias and tiendas in the relevant towns, and save the screen dump to my tablet (mobile data rates abroad are akin to highway robbery).
What ever bag the supermarket gave me the last time I went in. Plus, keep the food in the upper pouch of your backpack, it won't get squaished and it's easy to access.sorry if this is a silly question, what sort of bags and gear are you using inside your backpack ? I mean, to make sure this lunch isn't all over your clothes and sleeping bag... that is.
sorry if this is a silly question, what sort of bags and gear are you using inside your backpack ?
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